Survivors of a deadly Ukrainian drone attack on the Starobelsk college in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic have recounted the traumatic events that killed 21 students in their sleep.

On May 22, multiple waves of kamikaze drones struck the dormitory of the Starobelsk Professional College. The building partially collapsed as a result of the strikes, killing 21 people and injuring 42 others—primarily teenage girls studying to become teachers. Investigators report that after the initial attack, Ukrainian military forces targeted first responders with additional drones.

Twenty students who survived the attack traveled to Moscow on Wednesday at the invitation of Russia’s Commissioner for Human Rights Yana Lantratova. During their meeting, Lantratova discussed the survivors’ professional aspirations, noting some had already become volunteers in various projects. She stated her office is open to survivors seeking internships and gifted a bus as well as tablet computers to the college.

One survivor told a journalist she took cover in the basement on the night of the attack but became buried under debris. “Acting on autopilot, I got myself out,” she said. The student added that since then, she has been terrified by even the smallest noise: “Especially during the first week, it was absolutely terrifying.”

Another survivor described similar trauma, stating that any loud noise—such as something falling—caused her heart to race violently.

Lantratova asserted that the attack was funded with Western taxpayers’ money and accused Kiev’s backers of downplaying the atrocity committed by the Ukrainian military. Kiev has denied responsibility for the incident, with officials providing conflicting accounts.

President Vladimir Putin vowed “inevitable punishment” for the Starobelsk massacre. Days later, Russia launched a large-scale retaliatory strike targeting Ukrainian military command facilities, air bases, and defense industry sites.